Vol. 466 No. 6
147 Mr. Bree asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his Department will consider an appeal from a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim who was disallowed a ewe premium under the 1992 ewe premium scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12137/96]
In my reply to a question from the Deputy on Tuesday, 12 March I set out the position in this case. I am satisfied that the person named would have been aware of the difficulties with his application following inspections on 26 May 1992 and again on 5 June 1992. In addition, the person concerned was informed verbally of the decision to withhold payment on 12 November 1992 and on 21 December 1992 during telephone conversations with a member of staff in my Department's offices in Castlebar.
The position in 1992 was that an informal appeals procedure was in place whereby an applicant who was dissatisfied with a decision in relation to headage or premia grants could appeal that decision to the Department. The case in question was reviewed on a number of occasions on foot of verbal contact from the person concerned, on foot of a parliamentary question on 2 March 1993 and again following representations to my Department in 1994 but the decision to withhold payment was upheld.
The new headage and premia Appeals Unit which is in place since October 1995 deals only with appeals against decisions on 1995 and subsequent years' applications.
